Fwd: Fish stocking at Lake Merritt
Wed, 24 Mar 1999 06:22:17 -0800
From: Larry Tunstall
The following message from Pablo Cepero at the Rotary Nature Center did not get through the automatic posting process, so Pablo asked me to post it for him. The picture of course is not attached because attached files are not allowed on e-mail lists. [The picture, which did not go out on the e-mail list, appears below.]
Your "list mom," Larry
Tue, 23 Mar 1999 22:05:32 -0800
From: Pablo Cepero (Rotary Nature Center)Thanks for getting the word out Larry.
The fish they are stocking at Lake Merritt are rainbow trout, which in salt water eventually take on the form known as steelhead. These fish are in no way endemic to Lake Merritt and the long term effects of these introductions are completely unknown. No EIR has been done or even proposed!
The obvious short-term effect that we have already witnessed all too often >is that fishing lines, weights and hooks will be all over the place. And everytime they stock the lake they will milk it for publicity, encouraging more and more to cast their lines out amongst the throngs of wild birds. When a cormorant sees an anchovy on the end of a line, he cant help but go after it. What do you suppose happens to that hook when it gets into the birds gizzard - a muscle designed to constrict on what it swallows in order to masticate it. Once it's in the gizzard the bird cannot be saved. How about brown pelicans (last I checked they were still on the endangered list), terns and others?
I have attached a picture of a double crested cormorant that succombed to this cruel treatment. By the time it came to us, it was emaciated (how could it not be-the hook was completely imbedded in its gizzard), its lips (between upper and lower beak) was worn to the bone, its tongue was cut off by the line, its leg cut off from blood circulation. He was relatively calm on my lap, by that time I think he had given up the fight.
If you care about keeping the integrity of North America's first wildlife refuge, and if you prefer to see birds roaming free rather than entangled in fishing lines with hooks embedded in their gizzards, please speak out against the proposal to continue, and even expand this program.
Write letters to Jerry Brown, Councilmembers John Russo and Nancy Nadel, Jim Ryugo at Oakland Parks & Rec, Cal Fish and Game, and anyone else you can add to this list. This is a terrible idea.
Pablo
Posted to EBbird by Larry Tunstall
Crow and Raven Study
Wed, 24 Mar 1999 23:02:35 -0800
From: Mike Feighner
East-Bay-Birders:
I have just received a request from Dan Murphy who informs me that John Kelly needs one team to do a raven study in Alameda County and 2 teams to do studies in Contra Costa County. Anyone interested should contact Dan Murphy at murphsf@att.net Teams are made up of 2 people, but one can get by. Basically they have to drive a 30 to 40 mile route and record raven/crow sightings.
Also, what about this Costa's Hummingbird seen today in Alameda County?
Mike Feighner, Livermore, CA
Hummingbird Reply Subject List